IOGKF Newsletter

Budosai Preview Editon

April 2012

Anni’s Okinawa Survival Guide

By: Sensei Anni Moynihan – IOGKF International

FOREWORD BY EDITOR: When I was staying in Okinawa for the
first time, I felt lost in some ways within the rules of Okinawan
Culture. I was fortunate enough to have access to this guide and
take it with me on all of my trips. Although written some years
ago, for me it remains the most useful guide of its type for visiting
Okinawa...

GENERAL SURVIVAL ETIQUETTE

Shoes

Please don’t forget to take your shoes off.

Don’t leave your shoes lying in the entrance way. Put them in
the stands provided.

If you have to leave then in the entrance way make sure they
are placed neatly and

facing outwards.

Try not to step on the ground when you take your shoes off.

Don’t sit down on the entrance way to tie up your shoes.

Legs:

When in the dojo don’t sit with your legs out in front of you
or pointing at another

person.

Also, when in a dojo (formally) you must have your legs covered.
No shorts or dresses.

If you do a Zazen session, just wearing a Dogi is fine but please
DON’T wear your

belt. Plain, dark colour clothing with no monograms/patterns
is also OK. Shorts are

unacceptable. As with the Karate dojo, no watches, socks or cell
phones in the dojo.

How to do?

Proper explanation of how to sit correctly in Zazen and instruction
in breathing will

be given by a senior at the temple.

A brief explanation is that you sit in either half or full lotus
position (cross legged

with one foot or both on the opposite thigh) on a cushion with
your back straight.

With eyes half closed (never fully) fix your gaze about a meter
in front of you. Breathe in through the nose and out through the
nose. Breathing should not be forced. Concentrate on the exhalation
breath. Hands are in the Zazen position in your lap, left on top
of right.

Zen etiquette is rather complex, but basically if you are sitting
in Zazen you should

not move or shuffle about. There is no talking during Zazen,
but you are allowed to cough or sneeze.

Zen Temple Location:

Kozenji is in Shuri, near the castle and not far from the main
gate the ‘Shurei no

mon’. If you take a taxi to here and then walk through the tunnel
you will see a sign

on the right for ‘Zen Meditation centre’. Turn down this path
and the temple is just

down a little way on the left.

The only transport option at 5.30 am is either walking, bicycle
or a taxi. From Higaonna Dojo a taxi takes less than 10 minutes
and costs around ¥700.

Walking is free and takes 40 to 50 mins, biking about 25 mins.
It is advisable to take an extra T-shirt if walking/biking and a
towel.

HOSPITAL / DOCTOR

Largely doctors in Japan speak only rudimentary English, but
you should be able to

get your point across.

Emergency hospital: Naha city: (098) 877-1199

Adventist Medical center: Doctors here speak English (098)
946-2833

Okinawa central hospital: (1-2-6 Yogi District) (098)
854 5511

EMERGENCY:

119. The word help is ‘Tasu kete kudasai’.

Ambulance is ‘Kyu Kyu Sha’

Fire is‘Kaji’

POLICE: Naha city police station 098 836 0110

BANKS

Banks are closed weekends and National holidays. Banking hours
are Mon- Friday

10am to 3.30pm.

You can exchange travellers cheques and foreign currency at most
main branches,

including the post office.

MONEY MACHINES ( ATMs)

Beware! ATM machines in Japan are only open Monday to Friday
10.am – 7pm, and

on weekends 10am - 5pm. They are not open 24 hours.

Post office ATM’s offer a guide in English and accept most major
credit cards.

POST OFFICE

The post office is open Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm. Main branches
only are open

until 12noon on a Saturday. They are closed Sundays and public
holidays.

A mark that looks like a T with an extra stroke is the symbol
for a post office.

Generally it costs 50¥ to send a postcard and 80¥ to send a letter.
For

International rates just hand your letter to the staff at the
counter and they will let

you know.

Stamps can be brought from vending machines outside the post
office.

For information in English phone Naha City post office: 098 853-3390
or 098 853

6149

LAUNDROMAT

If your hotel (minshiku) doesn’t have a laundry service there
is sure to be a

Laundromat nestled away somewhere nearby.

You will need to use 100 yen coins and bring your own laundry
detergent. It

generally costs ¥300 to wash and ¥100 every 10 mins of dryer
time.

Not that you need to use a dryer in summer. Beware though, thefts
do occur, so it

pays to keep an eye on your things.

PUBLIC TELEPHONES

Telephones in Japan are colour coded.

A green phone takes either coins or a phone card and is used
for making domestic

calls only.

A gray Telephone can be used for domestic or International calls.
Cards or coins can

be used and there is a guide in English on the telephone display.

Pre paid calling cards are available at convenience stores, (lawsons
, family mart, hot spar etc.) or you can make collect calls or use
your own credit calling service. The country code for Japan is ‘81’
(+98 for Okinawa).

SHOPPING

Clothing and shoe sizes will differ. When trying on clothes remember
to leave your

shoes outside the changing room. Don’t despair when you keep
being pointed towards the large fitting section.

Some places to shop in Naha:

Shureido shop:

Martial artists clothing and accessory mecca. It is on Sogenji
dori just down from the

stone gates of Sogen temple. Just ask the Taxi to take you to
Sogenji. If you walk,

head to the very north end of Kokusai dori and take the road
that turns left. This is

Sogenji Dori. (You will be at an intersection just past the stone
Lions that guard either end of Kokusai dori. Across the road is
the ‘san A’ supermarket. Go left.)

Just keep walking down Sogenji dori (about 10 minutes) till you
come to the Stone

gates and the shop is on the left.

Ashibina

New outlet mall offers discount brand name merchandise, such
as Armani, etc. The

easiest way to get there is to take the monorail to the airport
station and a taxi from

there. There is no bus service.

Jusco:

Slightly older mall, opposite the Hyper Hotel. Has a good food
court and you can buy

wide variety of boxed lunches at the supermarket inside.

Not too far from the Budokan. Take the monorail and get off at
Oroku station.

Kokusai Dori and Heiwa Dori market:

Best places for souvenir shopping. Better discounts can be found
further to the back

of the market. The 100¥ shop is always fun. Try the goya or squid
ink ice-cream for a challenge or shiquasar juice freshly squeezed
for refreshment.

Mitsukoshi:

In middle of Kokusai Dori opposite the entrance to the markets.
Good example of a

Japanese department store in the upper price range. Good quality
items at a price

but they always come nicely wrapped! (Wrapping and labels often
being more

important than the item in Japan.)

Shinto shin/Naha main place:

New shopping mall with a wide variety of shops and a cinema complex.
To get there

either take a taxi or take the monorail to ‘Omoromachi station’
and walk about 5mins

towards complex.

DFS Store.

Huge thing also in Shin to shin. Directly linked to the Monorail
and ‘Omoromachi

Station’. Also carries all the name brands such as Chanel, Amarni,
Dior cosmetics

etc. Note that nothing in these shops is likely to be cheap.

Ryubo:

Another big Japanese department store at the South end of Kokusai
Dori. Linked

to the Kencho Mae station.

Tsuboya:

Famous RyuKyu pottery. Located at the back of the Heiwa Dori
markets, (not far

from the Higaonna Dojo in fact) Tsuboya pottery museum is also
here.

THINGS TO BUY:

Bingata:

Stenciled Okinawan fabric, usually in bright colors such as orange
and yellow. You

can buy some nice Yukata (a kind of summer robe/kimono) in the
markets made from bingata at reasonable prices. (1500¥ upwards).
Handkerchiefs, etc and bags are also popular.

Shisa:

Okinawan guardian lion dogs. Male has an open mouth(shouting
happiness) and the female a closed mouth (catching the happiness).

Taco rice: Okinawan version of a taco except made with
rice. Strangely it does taste

like a Taco.

Tebichi: Broiled pig’s feet

DRINK

Orien beer: THE Okinawan brew (in my opinion)!

Helios: another Okinawan beer, not as popular as orien.
I will let the connoisseurs

decide.

Awamori: Okinawan spirits/firewater. A type of sake usually
mixed with water and

ice before drinking.

Habu sake: Awamori with the local poisonous snake (a habu)
fermenting in the

bottom.

Goya juice: has to be tasted to be believed. Goya is bitter
Okinawan melon.

Shiquasar juice: Shiquasar is a citrus fruit. A cross
between lemon, lime and unripe

mandarin, the taste is sharp but refreshing.

Water is drinkable in Naha city but doesn’t always taste
so good. Bottled water is

nicer.

Sports drinks: Good for during training and those sweating
a lot in the heat. Try

Pocari Sweat (yes I know it sounds bad), Aquarious
or the more familiar Gatorade.

WEATHER

June to September is Typhoon season in Okinawa. Typhoons do like
to lurk around

Okinawa and play, but there is plenty of advance warning and
they don’t stay for too

long.

Okinawan sun can be very hot especially on the outer islands
and in the water.

Always take sunscreen and a hat and sunglasses because you’re
gonna fry!

Humidity is very high. Wearing cotton is preferable. (Even if
it is a heavy dogi)

Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty of water, drink more water.

INTERNET

There are a few Internet cafes around. Most can be found on Kokusai
Dori. If you want to do some printing out /downloading, etc you
can go to a net café.

‘Space create’ is at the north end of Kokusai Dori on second
floor almost opposite theTakara records shop and near the bus stop.
500¥ per hour, drinks free. Also offers use of pool and ping pong
tables and you can hire and watch DVDs.

NET Café is in middle of Kokusai Dori located on second floor
next to the Doutors

that need medical attention. Also there is a sea snake to be
aware of, but I’m not sure how well he can get his (or her) teeth
into you so don’t panic (yet). Sharks aren’t seen too often but
needless to say they enjoy cruising the nice warm Okinawan seas
too.

Generally swimming areas have nets that keep theses critters
out and the floor has

been swept free. However it always pays to know where you’re
putting your feet. If you go diving wear the boots and watch the
hands.

TOURIST INFORMATION

The Okinawa tourist information bureau is a great place to go
for information on

of Okeidori and Kokusai dori (Starbucks is on the corner) they
have English

pamphlets, internet booking access and staff who are really nice
and helpful.

Another place to get in on the local English speaking hub is
the Rehab bar and

café on Kokusai street. Someone there is bound to be able to
answer your questions, connect you to someone else or help in general.
Also has range of English books and magazines you can borrow, satalite
TV and free internet access. Also good friends of mine so I am bias
in this report! It is opposite the Mitsukoshi department store and
not far from the Heiwa markets.

OTHER SOURCES

Here are some web sites about Okinawa you may find of interest
or help.

www.wonder-okinawa.jp

www.okinawaindex.com

Okinawa-explorer.wwma.net

END NOTE

The information I have provided in this article is as accurate
as I could get, but of